Ohio River at Louisville, KY
USGS gauge 03294500 · drainage 91,170 sq mi · observed Oct 16, 9:45 PM EDT · 35 min old
Last 7 days Live gauge
Source: USGS Water Data API (continuous values), observed to Oct 16, 9:45 PM EDT. Shaded band: 25th to 75th percentile of USGS daily statistics for each date; dashed: median. Flow in cfs.
Rate of rise and fall Live gauge
| Window | Flow then | Change to latest | Gage height then | Gage height change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | 106,000 cfs | ▬ +0.00 cfs (+0.0%) | 18.29 ft | +0.11 ft |
| 3 h | 105,000 cfs | ▬ +1,000 cfs (+1.0%) | 18.10 ft | +0.30 ft |
| 6 h | 94,200 cfs | ▲ +11,800 cfs (+12.5%) | 17.50 ft | +0.90 ft |
| 12 h | 94,300 cfs | ▲ +11,700 cfs (+12.4%) | 17.84 ft | +0.56 ft |
| 24 h | 105,000 cfs | ▬ +1,000 cfs (+1.0%) | 18.72 ft | -0.32 ft |
Last 7 days
| Measure | Flow | Time | Relative to latest reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest reading | 134,000 cfs | Oct 14, 10:45 AM EDT | 59 h earlier |
| Lowest reading | 20,700 cfs | Oct 11, 5:15 PM EDT | 124 h earlier |
Source: computed from USGS continuous readings (Water Data API) to Oct 16, 9:45 PM EDT. Each row compares the latest reading with the reading closest to that many hours earlier; the arrow is steady (▬) when the change is within 1%.
Daily mean flow Live gauge
| Date (gauge-local) | Mean flow | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | 99,290 cfs | |
| Oct 15, 2026 | 113,500 cfs | |
| Oct 14, 2026 | 131,198 cfs | |
| Oct 13, 2026 | 121,917 cfs | |
| Oct 12, 2026 | 75,601 cfs | |
| Oct 11, 2026 | 29,747 cfs | |
| Oct 10, 2026 | 32,975 cfs | |
| Oct 9, 2026 | 33,120 cfs | |
| Oct 8, 2026 | – | Partial day |
Source: USGS Water Data API (continuous values); each mean uses readings on that gauge-local date, shown only with at least 80% of expected readings.
The same 50 days in earlier years Historical record
━ 2026 ╌ 2025 ╌ 2024 ╌ 2023
| Year | Mean flow | Highest day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 91,451 cfs | 249,000 cfs |
| 2025 | 20,901 cfs | 55,700 cfs |
| 2024 | 31,131 cfs | 115,000 cfs |
| 2023 | 29,384 cfs | 82,800 cfs |
Source: USGS daily mean flows (Water Data API). Each line is the 50 days from Aug 27 to Oct 15, shifted to the same calendar dates in earlier years; gaps are days without a published value. Recent days are provisional.
Compared with this gauge’s record Historical record
| Measure | Value | When or rank |
|---|---|---|
| Peak daily flow, last 7 days | 131,000 cfs | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Last time daily flow was this high or higher | 146,000 cfs | Sep 28, 2026 (16 days earlier) |
| Last day above the 90th percentile for its date, before this peak | Sep 30, 2026 | 14 days earlier |
| Days above the 75th percentile for their date | 21 of 29 | last 29 days |
| October 1 to 15, mean flow | 60,420 cfs | rank 18 highest of 99 years |
| Peak daily mean compared with annual instantaneous peaks of record | Below the lowest of 161 | lowest annual peak 237,000 cfs |
Source: USGS daily mean flows (Water Data API), 1928 to 2026 (36,062 days), data through Oct 15, 2026, computed 2026-10-17; method record-v1. Percentiles are USGS daily statistics. Recent days are provisional.
Largest annual peaks Historical record
Ten largest peaks of record
| Date | Peak flow | Gage height at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 26, 1937 | 1,110,000 cfs | 85.44 ft |
| Mar 7, 1945 | 843,000 cfs | 74.40 ft |
| Feb 16, 1884 | 825,000 cfs | 74.40 ft |
| Mar 12, 1964 | 785,000 cfs | – |
| Apr 2, 1913 | 769,000 cfs | 72.70 ft |
| Feb 16, 1883 | 750,000 cfs | 72.20 ft |
| Mar 6, 2021 | 731,000 cfs | 59.81 ft |
| Feb 26, 2018 | 719,000 cfs | 67.08 ft |
| Mar 6, 1997 | 716,000 cfs | – |
| Jan 22, 1907 | 713,000 cfs | 69.10 ft |
Five most recent annual peaks
| Date | Peak flow | Gage height at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2024 | 490,000 cfs | 50.17 ft |
| Feb 20, 2023 | 462,000 cfs | 46.11 ft |
| Mar 1, 2022 | 580,000 cfs | 52.03 ft |
| Mar 6, 2021 | 731,000 cfs | 59.81 ft |
| Feb 17, 2020 | 643,000 cfs | 56.68 ft |
Source: USGS annual peak streamflow (Water Data API), 161 annual peaks, 1832 to 2024. A water year's peak is its highest instantaneous flow.
Historic crests Official NWS
| Date | Crest stage | Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 26, 1937 | 85.44 ft | 1,110,000 cfs |
| Feb 15, 1884 | 74.40 ft | 825,000 cfs |
| Mar 7, 1945 | 74.40 ft | 843,000 cfs |
| Mar 12, 1964 | 73.46 ft | 785,000 cfs |
| Apr 1, 1913 | 72.70 ft | 769,000 cfs |
| Feb 15, 1883 | 72.20 ft | 750,000 cfs |
| Mar 7, 1997 | 70.47 ft | 716,000 cfs |
| Feb 20, 1832 | 69.60 ft | 701,000 cfs |
| Jan 21, 1907 | 69.10 ft | 713,000 cfs |
| Dec 16, 1847 | 68.80 ft | 686,000 cfs |
Source: National Weather Service forecast point MLPK2 (Ohio River at McAlpine Lower), historic crests as published by the NWS; the NWS may have recorded them on an older gauge datum. The USGS annual peaks above are a separate record and can differ in date, flow and datum.
Gage height to flow rating Historical record
Line: current USGS rating, gage height (ft, horizontal) to flow (cfs, vertical). ● latest reading, 18.40 ft and 106,000 cfs.
Source: USGS rating table for the gauge (NWIS rating depot, expanded shifted rating, 5,401 rows, thinned to 91 points), fetched Oct 16, 10:11 PM EDT. Ratings are provisional and change with the channel.
Flood stages Official NWS
| Category | Gage height (ft) |
|---|---|
| Action | 53.0 ft |
| Minor | 55.0 ft |
| Moderate | 65.0 ft |
| Major | 73.0 ft |
Source: National Weather Service forecast point MLPK2 (Ohio River at McAlpine Lower), fetched Oct 16, 10:14 PM EDT. Compare with the gage height above; thresholds belong to that forecast point.
Flood impacts by stage Official NWS
| Stage | National Weather Service impact statement |
|---|---|
| 55.0 ft | Parks and riverfront areas in Clarksville and New Albany flood. Some yards along US 31W (Dixie Highway) from Pleasure Ridge Park to West Point KY flood. |
| 58.0 ft | IN 111 floods upstream of Bridgeport. |
| 59.0 ft | Overbrook Rd. floods south of Lake Dreamland Rd. |
| 65.0 ft | Parts of US 31W (Dixie Highway) flood from I-265 (Gene Synder Freeway) interchange to West Point KY. Riverfront parks in Clarksville and New Albany flood. |
| 66.0 ft | Lock is closed. Floodgates at Riverport are closed. |
| 67.0 ft | Blackiston Mill Road floods at Silver Creek in Clarksville. |
| 71.0 ft | KY 44 is closed. |
| 74.0 ft | Houk Lane is closed at floodgate. |
| 76.0 ft | US 31W (Dixie Highway) closed at floodgate. |
| 88.5 ft | The flood will reach the top of the floodwall. A large part of downtown Louisville floods. Parts of I-64 and I-65 flood. Homes along 31W (Dixie Highway) are destroyed. New Albany and Clarksville will suffer major damage. |
Source: National Weather Service forecast point MLPK2 (Ohio River at McAlpine Lower). Statements are quoted from the NWS and describe that forecast point.
Sources and method
- Data: U.S. Geological Survey. Terms
- River forecasts and flood stages: National Weather Service. National Water Model guidance: NOAA. Terms
USGS daily statistics, downloaded 2026-10-12
Percentile method: trailing 24 h mean vs USGS daily percentiles for calendar date 10-16.
Percentile is estimated from USGS published daily percentiles. Readings are provisional until USGS reviews them. Not endorsed by USGS, NOAA or the National Weather Service. Not for navigation or safety-of-life decisions; the absence of an alert is not a statement that conditions are safe.